10-09-2020, 07:35 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Dallas, TX
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Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
I don't get why DFRPG elected to not have any heal spells on the Druid list except Cure Disease. Fantasy druids in D&D have always been able to heal.
People post, "My party has no cleric, what do I do?" D&D elected to expand the healing roles by allowing Bards to heal as well. DFRPG went the other direction by not only refusing to extend healing to Bards, but also taking healing from Druids who traditionally can do it. Ultimately it comes down to an argument over what is more fun, and I think players tend to find it a drag if they have to wait multiple game days convalescing to recover lost HPs. |
10-09-2020, 07:51 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
Healing Potions. Lots of Healing Potions.
Another option, if the GM is really worried about it, is to grant the group a Holy Relic that allows them to heal so long as they please the god of the relic. Quote:
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Eric B. Smith GURPS Data File Coordinator GURPSLand I shall pull the pin from this healing grenade and... Kaboom-baya. |
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10-09-2020, 08:21 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
I run Golarion (Pathfinder) in DFRPG, and my house rules allow healing to multiple templates:
1: Druids gain access to every healing spell at one higher level of PI than Clerics 2: Bards can learn healing college spells using the prerequisites I. Gurps Magic/Basic as ericbsmith stated above 3: Martial Artists can take a Chi based Faith healing. It has no divine component, but the being being healed must have Chi (basically be alive). 4: I use Gurps Magic: the least of spells, and anyone can use the Use Magic least spell to use Cleric only healing items like wands. |
10-09-2020, 08:24 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
Definitely, my game lacks a cleric and I've been liberal with both purchasing and discovering healing potions (and analogues) throughout the world. Works well.
There are a few thready ways around the fact that only clerics get out of the box access to healing spells. First is that dipping into other professions is pretty easy, so a druid or bard could pick up a level or to of clerical investment to access those spells, as well as others. Alchemy is a skill focus that can allow quick(ish) and easy(ish) access to potion making. Given a pretty reasonable amount of downtime healing potions can be produced at a pretty good discount. Herb lore (Druid!) gives an even bigger discount and is reasonable to allow usage in the field. |
10-09-2020, 08:32 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
I'm all for druidic healing. I started a similar thread last year: Druidic healing. Since then, I've always offered healing spells to druids if the party lacks a cleric. (I would be happy to allow it with a cleric, too, but nobody has asked.) I'm also very free with healing magic items and I don't reserve them to clerics only.
I hadn't thought about bards before, but it's an interesting idea. I might implement it as a song of regeneration or something like that. Though I suppose that would be over-powered without any FP costs. Could one implement a song with FP? Kind-of a hybrid spell/song. The fluff would be that the Bard is actively channeling mana through the song into the subjects. The more healing required, the more exhausting the channeling is. The thing I like about a song is that it makes it clearly a bard thing and it takes time. A caster might still be best for rapidly boosting individual HP in combat, but the bard might get the edge when everyone is convalescing around the campfire. |
10-09-2020, 08:43 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
A bard song could work as well. You could build it as an affliction that grants regeneration, or as enhancements on healing, but that is going deep into core Gurps, and it’s going to be very expensive in points vs adding the healing college to Bardic Talent.
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10-09-2020, 09:10 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Luxembourg
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
In DFRPG, Holy warrior can also heal (not as much as a cleric, of course), with Faith healing (and contingency casting).
Druid have access to herb lore for half-price healing potions. But it is easy enough to add a couple healing spells to the druid or bard list, if that's what you want. No special knowledge required, just modify the choices in Spells. If no-one at a table want to play a cleric, but you have a druid/bard player, it certainly is an alternative to hiring a healbot in town. A DF druid fun tactic for out-of-combat healing was Plant form Other + heal plant ... Not available in DFRPG, but if you have access to Gurps magic, it is easy to slot them back in. Last edited by Celjabba; 10-09-2020 at 09:15 AM. |
10-09-2020, 09:46 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: GMT-5
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
I allowed a player to build a bard song (using GURPS Basic, not DFRPG) that gave Regeneration (1 HP / Hour). It was a nice supplement to spells and potions w/o having the bard steal anyone's spotlight.
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10-10-2020, 12:36 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: May 2010
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
Quote:
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10-10-2020, 01:50 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Dallas, TX
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Re: Druids should heal - Maybe Bards
He's not the only one running Golarion.
Paizo puts out wonderful stuff. My dream of the perfect fantasy product would be them writing for the DFRPG rules. |
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